Ore crushing machine



@ct 8, i935. M. rvElT ORE CRUSHING MACHINE 2 Sheets-Sheet l Filed May l5, 1933 2 Sheets-Shet 2 M. TVEIT ORE CRUSHING MACHINE Filed May l5, 1933 lan mi! Patented Oct. 8, 1935 UNITED STATES PATENT oEFicE 1 Claim.

This invention relates to machines for breaking and crushing rock, especially ore', and hasfor its objects to provide-suchy a machine as will perform this work with vthe least expenditure of power;

. which will greatly increase the rate of crushing the ore; which will be' substantially automatib in its action; which will be continuous inV its ac'- tion;- which will permit the continuous esca-eV ci ne rock powder as it isproduced; which is-cheap to build and to operate; and whichv will effectively reduce the hardest rock' to a iine powder;

I attain these and other'objects by theV devices, mechanisms, and arrangements illustrated in the accompanying drawings, inf which- Fig. 1 is a vertical longitudinal section of my improved ore crushing machine; Fig. 2 is a'- partial transverse'section ofthe upper part thereof; Fig. 3 is a similar view of the lower part thereof; Fig- 4 is a side elevation ofthe upper part thereof, showing the drivingmechanism.; Fig. 5- is a side elevation of one of the buckets, its Wheels having been removed and indicatedbyE dotted lines; Fig. 6 is an elevation ofoneend'of one of the buckets, showing one-wheel removed and showing partslin section to revealf the construction thereof; Fig'. 7 is a section of the machine at the upper driven sprocket wheel, show-ing the buckets as they pass over the sprocket Wheel and dump their contents; and Fig` 8- is an elevation of a portion of one of the cables, showing. portions of buckets and a cable spreader attached thereto.

Similar numerals of reference refer to similar parts throughout the several views..

Referring to the drawings, it will be seen'- that my improved ore crushing machine comprises a single structure divided into two main compartments, one compartment comprising the elevat'` ing chamber and tank, and the other compart-A ment comprising the falling and crushingY chamber. It is intended that the structure beA of oo n-V siderable size, for instancev the height of fromv thirty to sixtyl feet, a length of` from twentyv tothirty feet, and a width of from eight to fifteen`-` feet being considered sufcient.

The driving mechanism is preferably mounted on suitable framing outside of the upper' end` of the structure and comprises a source of power' such as the motor I, which turns the large wheel 2 by means of the belt 3. The wheel 2 is mounted on the drive shaft 4 and" is provided with a pinion 5 which meshes with the gear 6 mounted* on the countersha-it 1. A second pinion 8 is mounted on the countershaft 1 and meshes with the large gear 9 mounted on the sprocket shaft l0. This shaft I0 extends into and across the (Cl. 19K-151') upper end or theefevating chamber H and carries# the*y twoE sprocket wheels i2; securely mounted thereon, seid-1 wheels F2: being adapted to apply the* full'l force of thel driving mechanism to lift on that part of the verticalv elevator, hereinafter 5 described, adjacent to the wall |53 dividing the chamber FI from the falling and crushing chamber lili. idler' shaft F51, with sprocket wheels i8 mounted thereon; is mounted on a higher level thanthe'saidi shaft` lillfand extends parallel' there- 1o toacross theupper'end of the chamber Il and is adapted to direct the downward moving part of thevertica'l elevator adjacent to the outer wall ofthe Sad cham-bei" H. Another idler shaft I'T,

with suitable sprocket' wheels i8, is mounted l5 across the structure above the falling and crushing chamber Illv and at a level substantially the saine as v thea idler shaft |f5. A third idler shaft |l`9i ismeount'ecr across the lower end of the chambei FF, and carries suitablewheels 20, and is pro- 20 vided with suitable stufng boxes 2l, where' it passes through the walls thereof, to prevent the water the tank formed by the lower part of the chamber H from escaping; Suitable adjustment of' onefof'theishafts |5-`, |"F or i9 may be provided 25- to take upvtiieslack in the elevator.

The elevator' comprises a; pair of endless parallel ca'biesy 22 between which are' clampedy a series of buckets 213, hereinafter' described. These cables H lieL between the end of the buckets 23 and 30 thel respectivesprocket wheels. The buckets 23 carry proections adapted toV engage the teeth of the sprocket wheeis'. Suitable spreaders 24 are' similar-1y` mounted"v on the cables 22 between the consecutive buckets' 23 and are also provided 35 with sprockete'ngaging projections.

Eachy bucket 23 ccrripri'se's'a.` cast end piece 25, having an internal flangel 26, to each of which the sheil* plate 2T of the bucket' is secured, thus fonning a. complete bucket structure. This plate 40'" 2T is sei-Tainted from the iianges 26', to which it is' secured, by" means ofV thin Washers 28, Ithereby forming.' av continuous sl'ot 29'between the plate 2T and: each' end piece 25', through which the water' may escape' from the bucket and may car- 4:25z ry with" i't the' ner particles ofv rock.

Each end castingn 25 provided with a special-1y formed` vertical" 'ange 30 extending, l'atorally from the end piece'.v 215, and which is' provided* with` a semicyli'ndrical' straight vertical-|50"` groove 31, adapted to receive the cable 22. A clamping pi'ece 32 is provided with a groove complementary to the groove 3| and is adapted to be secured to the flange 30 and to clamp the cable 22 to the bucket 23. 55

Each end casting 25 of the buckets 23 is provided with two projections comprising the pins 33, suitably secured to and extending laterally from the said flange 30 and adapted to receive a small wheel 34 mounted thereon. Preferably roller bearings 35 are interposed between each pin 33 and its wheel 34. 'I'he end of the wheel 34 may be closed by a suitable plate 36 to prevent the entrance of grit to its bearings. Also a felt washer may close the innerends of lthe bearings to protect them from the entrance of foreign matter. The outer surface of the Wheels 34 are grooved to form two flanges 31 which are adapted to engage the sides of the teeth of the several sprocket wheels as they pass thereover, thereby preventing the elevator from slipping oiT the said sprocket wheels.

The spreaders 24 are provided with similar wheels 34 and are similarly secured to the cables 22.

A pair of rails 38 are mounted in the upper end of the structure between the sprocket wheels I6 and I8, on each side, and are adapted to support the empty buckets 23 `as they travel horizontally from the crushing chamber I4 to the elevating chamber II. f

The above-described sprocket shaft I0, on which the lifting sprocket wheels I2 are secured, is also pro-vided with a rotatingspill-bucket 39 formed of a series of radial partitions 40 mounted on a central boss 4I and having end closure disks 42. Since this entire structure and the sprocket wheels I2 rotate with the-shaft I 0 it follows that the several buckets 23 will move substantially uniformly with the several partitions of the spill-bucket 39 and that all materials spilling from the buckets 23 will be caught by the spill-bucket 39 and will be dumped thereby as it turns with the shaft, thus preventing any material from spilling back into the elevator chamber Il. 5

Thus it will be seen that the elevator comprises a pair of cables 22 to which are clamped, at suitable intervals, the buckets 23, said buckets 23 carrying sprocket-engaging wheels 34 adapted to engage between the teeth of the several sprocket wheels and tooperate the elevator through the driven sprocket wheels I2; and that each such bucket 23 is constructed so as to permit the water to escape therefrom Ithrough the side slots 29. It will also be seen that the buckets 23 descend vertically into the tank formed at the lower end of the chamber II, and lreceive therein water and rocks, and that they pass therefrom vertically to a considerable height yand as they rise they permit the water to run back into the tank while the rocks are carried to the top of the chamber II. Here, it will be seen that the cables turn over the wheels I2 to the right (Fig. 1) and, as they thus turn, the sprocket wheels I2 which engage both ends of each bucket 23 by its wheels 34, turn the buckets over and dump the rocks therefrom. Those rocks which fall before the turning is entirely completed fall into the spill bucket 39 which carries them in the same direction and dumps them, with the other rocks, into the chamber I4.

Now this chamber I4 (Fig. 1) is provided with a very solid floor` 43, positioned` at a point slightly above the level of the water in the tank at the base of the chamber II," and inclined downward towards the said tank. The rocks which rails'placed on end, side by side.

are dumped from the buckets 23 fall onto this oor 43 and are broken. As rocks from the next bucket 23 fall to the floor 43 they naturally hit the rocks which have fallen before them. Thus each rock is shattered by the continuous pound- 5 ing and grinding of other rocks on it and by its own fall on other rocks. As these rocks are thus comminuted they gradually flow down the inclined oor and drop into the Water in the tank and into the buckets 23 as they are led past the u) end of the rock chute 44 from the iioor 43, while the smallest particles are released into the water. The chamber I4 is provided with a suitable lining 45, at its lower end, which may be made of A gate 46 may 15 be placed at the rock chute 44 to control the flow of rocks from the floor 43 into the tank.

The tank is normally full of water up to a level close to the mouth of the rock chute 44. A spray of water may be directed into the Vbuckets 23 as 20 they leave the water in the tank, as shown at 41 in the drawings.

The tank is` provided with a lateral overflow which directs the water into a flume 48. ,The overflowing water carries with it the lighter com- 25 minuted materials. The degree of neness of such materials being thus carried olf by the water depends on the rate of supply of water to the tank. With a low rate of supply of water the materials will be fine enough to pass through a mesh 30 screen while a heavier flow of water will carry olf materials which would not pass through a 40 mesh screen.

New rock or ore may be continuously supplied to the machine by dumping it into the crushing 35 chamber I4 by means of a feeding mechanism such as is diagrammatically illustrated at 49 in Fig. 1.

Many Variations in my invention may be made without departing from the spirit thereof, as out- 40 lined in the appended claim and the machine may be used without Water for dry grinding of cement rock or of talc and other materials.

Having, therefore, described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secure by Letters 45 Patent, isz- An ore elevator comprising a series of pairs of similar spaced sprocket wheels; means for driving one pair of said sprocket wheels; a pair of endless parallel cables, permanently out of 50 contact with said sprocket wheels; a series of. buckets clamped to both said cables and spaced at uniform distances apart thereon; clamping flanges formed on the end plates of each bucket and cooperating with clamping plates attached 55 thereto to clamp each cable therebetween, said flanges and plates extending substantially the full depth of the bucket; two pins extending laterally from the upper and lower portions of said clamping flanges on each side of the bucket; 60 double-flanged wheels mounted on all four of said pins and adapted to engage the teeth of said guiding and driving sprocket wheels between the said iianges; intermediate bars, positioned between consecutive buckets; cable-clamping means 05 near the ends of said bars; and similar doubleflanged wheels mounted on the ends of said intermediate bars, whereby said cables are adapted to transmit the operating stresses to move the buckets and are held away from said sprocket 70 wheels and are guided along the path of travel.

MITCHEL TVEIT. 

